At this time last season, Arsenal were a potential candidate for the Premier League title with 3 consecutive wins in their opening matches. The "Gunners" scored 9 goals and only conceded 2 times.
Mikel Arteta's team maintained their form and held the top spot for 248 days and only lost to Manchester City in the final stage. The lack of experience was the main reason for Arsenal's collapse at the end of the season.
The Spaniard has dealt with that in three major deals this summer. First came Kai Havertz from Chelsea for £65 million, although he actually scored just 9 goals in all competitions last season.
Next were Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber, new signings who cost the Gunners more than £200 million. While Rice will be a welcome presence in midfield, Timber will be a versatile defender.
While Rice and Timber have more or less shown their worth, Havertz is a big question mark. The highlight was Arsenal's disappointing 2-2 draw with Fulham in the third round of the Premier League.
Arteta needs time to make the most of Havertz's strengths. But whether Man City is waiting for them or not is another story...
Time does not allow Arsenal to wait for Havertz
Havertz will be somewhat sympathized because he is carrying too many expectations in Arsenal's midfield. But the German's poor finishing skills will be a long-term concern for the Gunners.
To be fair, in the past matches, Havertz has moved intelligently and knows how to find space. He was given many opportunities in the final third of the field. But the problem is that Havertz has been frustrating with his poor finishing.
"Havertz was given many opportunities, he should have scored many goals and that is something that needs improvement," Arteta said after the draw with Fulham.
Chelsea fans may not be unfamiliar with what Havertz is showing at the Emirates. He had an expected goalscoring rate of 10.8 in his final Premier League season at Stamford Bridge but only scored 7 goals.
The German had just 28 touches against Fulham compared to Granit Xhaka's 71 in the same game last season. This proves that Havertz has not been involved much in Arsenal's deployment of the ball.
If Havertz can score, that will not be important anymore. But Arsenal cannot spend £65m on a player who is not both knowledgeable about scoring and not contributing to the overall play.
What should Arteta do with Havertz?
Like any manager at a top-four Premier League club, Arteta doesn't have much time. The "Gunners" have gone through 2 seasons without a title and will not be able to accept a third season. Arteta needs to maximize Havertz's best qualities to get Arsenal back on track.
Havertz attracted attention from teams like Chelsea and Real Madrid for the first time with his performance as a "false 9" at Bayer Leverkusen. He often retreats deep to build play before making smart runs behind the opponent's defense. Therefore, the best chance for Arsenal to help Havertz regain his form is to give him the same freedom.
Nketiah has done a great job of replacing Gabriel Jesus at the beginning of this season, but Havertz will have more potential. The former Chelsea player is agile, powerful and technically perfect.
If Havertz does not improve his form soon, the "Gunners" will not only fall behind Man City but also risk being eliminated from the Top 4.
